Proffers for New Development in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County established Transportation Demand Management (TDM) requirements (“proffers”) for new development that would have significant traffic impacts. For buildings within the urban centre of Tysons, trips had to be reduced between 25% and 65% during peak hours, depending on the size of the building and its proximity to the Metrorail stations. The county proffers required large new properties to annually monitor trips, conduct tenant commuting surveys, and show that they were meeting their trip reduction goals. They also had to conduct surveys every three years. Over seven years, 13 such developments generated 63% fewer trips, which was 34% beyond their goals. For the office buildings, this was likely at least partly a result of more people working from home during the COVID pandemic.
Background
Note: To minimize site maintenance costs, all case studies on this site are written in the past tense, even if they are ongoing as is the case with this particular program.
Fairfax County established its proffers in response to concerns from its suburban residents. Starting in 2007, the county included TDM measures and trip reduction requirements in its negotiations with developers. However, the response was inconsistent. Therefore in 2013 Fairfax set county-wide standards based on land use and distance from transit connections. These included maximum rates of peak hour auto trips that new developments would be allowed to generate. The rates were scaled; properties closer to Metro rail stations had a lower maximum than comparable properties farther from Metro stations.
Setting Objectives
Fairfax set objectives for the number of car trips to be reduced by TDM at large, new buildings. For buildings within the urban centre of Tysons, trips had to be reduced between 25% and 65% during peak hours, depending on the size of the building and its proximity to the Metrorail stations. Given that the developments were new, the reductions were measured relative to estimates. These estimates were based on published values provided by the Institute of Transportation Engineers, which in turn were based on case studies of existing properties across the U.S.A. and Canada. County planners then adjusted these based on the local situation (e.g. pedestrian infrastructure, the degree of transit-oriented development.)
Getting Informed
Wells + Associates (W+A) reviewed long-term data from its portfolio of Fairfax County TDM residential and office properties.
Delivering the Program
While each developer created its own TDM approach, the following are common elements offered by them.
The county set TDM requirements for different levels of participation. The following table lists only some of these.(Financial Incentives; Overcoming Specific Barriers; Vivid Personalized, Credible, Empowering Communications)
|
General TDM Elements
|
Full
|
Moderate
|
Light
|
|
Bus Benches
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Provide Transportation Kiosk or Information Display
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Onsite Transportation Fairs
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Website/Online Commuter Store
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Participation in FCDOT Rideshare Program
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Vanpool Accessible Parking and Drop Off
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
NonSOV Preferred Parking (Office Only)
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Pedestrian Facilities
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Designate Program Manager
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Join area Transportation Management Association
|
If Available
|
If Available
|
If Available
|
|
Bicycle Programs
|
|
Bicycle Racks
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Protected Bicycle Storage or Lockers
|
X
|
X
|
----
|
|
Shower Facilities (Office Only)
|
X
|
X
|
----
|
|
Bicycle Routes, Lanes and/or Paths
|
X
|
X
|
----
|
|
Bikeshare Participation
|
If Available
|
If Available
|
----
|
|
Transit Programs
|
|
Bus Shelter or Bus Stop Improvements
|
X
|
X
|
When Requested
|
|
Free or Reduced Cost Transit Passes
|
X
|
X
|
----
|
|
Real Time Transit Information
|
If Available
|
If Available
|
----
|
|
Shuttle
|
When Requested
|
X
|
----
|
* Or per proffered agreement
Table credit: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/tdm-toolkit
The following table summarizes the key barriers to action and how each was addressed. (Overcoming Specific Barriers)
|
Barrier
|
How it was addressed
|
|
Lack of information / low priority to change habits
|
· Transportation kiosks and information displays
· Onsite transportation fairs
· Individualized Marketing Programs
· Off-Peak Travel Programs (Residential Only)
· Shop Near Home Marketing (Residential Only)
· Live or Shop Near Work Marketing
|
|
Onsite transportation fairs
|
· Promoted compressed work weeks (offices only)
· Promoted flexible work schedules (offices only)
· Promoted telework programs (offices only)
· Promoted onsite business center in residential buildings
|
|
Individualized Marketing Programs
|
· Promoted paid parking
· Promoted parking cashout
· Promoted unbundled parking
|
|
Off-Peak Travel Programs (Residential Only)
|
· Preferred parking for non-SOV vehicles (offices only)
|
|
Shop Near Home Marketing (Residential Only)
|
· Guaranteed Ride Home program (offices only)
|
|
Inconvenience of vanpooling
|
· Vanpool program with accessible parking and drop off
· Guaranteed Ride Home program (office only)
|
|
Inconvenience of taking transit
|
· Bus benches
· Bus shelter or bus stop improvements
· Free or reduced cost transit passes
· Real time transit information
· Guaranteed Ride Home program (offices only)
|
|
Inconvenience of cycling
|
· Bicycle racks
· Protected bicycle storage or lockers
· Shower facilities (offices only)
· Guaranteed Ride Home program (offices only)
|
Measuring Achievements
The county proffers required large new properties to annually monitor trips, conduct tenant commuting surveys, and show that they were meeting their trip reduction goals. They also had to conduct surveys every three years. Wells + Associates had helped the county to implement TDM programs and monitor trips performance metrics over seven-years (2013-2019) among 13 of the longest-standing programs.
Results
On average over seven years, the 13 residential and commercial developments generated 63% fewer trips, which was 34% beyond their goals. For the office buildings, this was likely at least partly a result of more people working from home during the COVID pandemic.
Notes
Setting requirements for new developments proved to be a cost-effective approach to reducing the number of trips. This approach could also be used with energy, water, and waste efficiency – requiring new developments to meet certain standards, including running behavior change programs to help control energy / water use and waste production.
For More Information
http://www.wellsandassociates.com/research/property-trip-forecasting-fairfax-county/
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/tdm
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/tdm-toolkit
